Microsoft is preparing its own portable Xbox console

The company would have resumed plans to launch its own portable device, after collaborating with ASUS on the ROG Xbox Ally.

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Although Microsoft decided to put its portable console project on hold to focus on collaboration with ASUS, everything indicates that plans for a portable Xbox of its own are still on the table. According to Windows Central, the company is working on an internal development version that would be part of the new Xbox ecosystem that will arrive with the next generation.

Jez Corden explains that Microsoft’s strategy has changed in recent months: first, using the ROG Xbox Ally as a testing ground; then, launching its own portable hardware based on the lessons learned from that alliance. The goal would be to offer an identical experience to the home console, with full support for the Xbox library and the benefits of Xbox Play Anywhere.

An official portable Xbox could arrive after the next desktop console

Corden details that “Microsoft decided to put its portable console on hold to focus on the ROG Ally and gather user feedback”, but adds that the company “plans to launch its own portable device later, within the new Xbox hardware roadmap”.

This coincides with recent statements by Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, who acknowledged that the team decided to put its internal project on hold to strengthen collaboration with ASUS. However, the new report suggests that Microsoft’s portable hardware would arrive after the launch of the next home console, scheduled for 2027, integrating into the same unified platform that combines console, PC, and cloud.

The big question is how Xbox will approach retrocompatibility on a device of this type. According to the first details of the new ecosystem, all current and future Xbox Series games will be compatible, opening the door to a portable device capable of running the entire Xbox catalog, both locally and through Xbox Cloud Gaming.

If the rumors are confirmed, Microsoft would return to the field of portable consoles for the first time in its history, in a move that could redefine the future of its ecosystem and compete directly with options like Steam Deck or Lenovo Legion Go.